Tiger Woods and Charlie Woods became the first father and son to be suspended from…

Tiger Woods Watches as Son Charlie Struggles in US Junior Amateur, Missing Cut After Tough Second Round

Tiger Woods, one of the greatest golfers to ever play the game, found himself in an unfamiliar role this past week at the prestigious U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. Instead of dominating the course as he did so many times in his illustrious career, Woods was simply a spectator, watching his 15-year-old son, Charlie, compete against some of the top junior golfers in the world. While there were undoubtedly high hopes for the rising young star, Charlie’s journey in the tournament was cut short after a grueling two days that saw him miss the cut by a significant margin.

 

The younger Woods, who had qualified for the 264-player field just last month with a strong showing, struggled to find his footing in the tournament. Across two rounds, Charlie shot a 22-over-par, finishing near the bottom of the leaderboard. His performance in the second round was particularly tough, with a 10-over-par 80 that ended his hopes of advancing to the match play portion of the event. The top 64 players would go on to battle for the championship in match play, starting Wednesday, but Charlie was left on the outside looking in.

 

Adding to the challenge was a USGA regulation that prevented Tiger Woods from serving as Charlie’s caddie. In a tournament where many juniors rely on the calm guidance and support of their parents as caddies, the elder Woods was relegated to the sidelines, forced to watch and cheer from a distance as his son navigated the tough competition. Tiger, who had won this very championship three times in the early 1990s, could do little but offer support from the gallery as Charlie faced the pressure of competing on such a grand stage.

 

The tournament began with optimism, as Charlie handled the challenge of teeing off in front of about 500 people in his second round. On day two, he showed flashes of resilience, managing to stay only one over par through the first four holes. But disaster struck soon after when a weather delay stopped play for over an hour. After play resumed, Charlie’s fortunes took a turn for the worse. His front nine unraveled, particularly on the par-4 18th hole. It was a hole that seemed almost cursed for Charlie, as he watched in frustration as two of his pitch shots onto the elevated green rolled back down the hill. It wasn’t until his fifth shot that he managed to land the ball on the green, finally ending the hole with a triple bogey.

 

The storm delay had done more than just interrupt the flow of play; it seemed to sap the momentum Charlie had built early in the round. The following holes brought further struggles, and by the time he closed out the front nine, Charlie had played five holes in eight over par. Any hopes of making the cut had slipped away by that point, and the rest of the day became a battle to finish the round.

 

Despite his struggles on the course, Charlie Woods garnered significant attention throughout the tournament. The presence of his father, Tiger, drew a large crowd, even though the Junior Amateur usually only attracts a modest number of spectators toward the end of the event. Tiger, still a magnet for golf fans, was surrounded by more people—and security officers—than most of the other competitors, as fans eagerly tried to snap photos and get a glimpse of the golfing legend. Hundreds of spectators followed Charlie’s group, walking behind him on the fairways and encircling the greens as they watched the son of an icon attempt to carve out his own path in the game.

 

Tiger Woods, meanwhile, was a study in quiet support. While he was unable to offer caddying advice, he stayed close to the action, offering encouragement from the gallery. It was a different experience for the 15-time major champion, who is more accustomed to being in the thick of the competition than standing on the sidelines. His presence brought an extra level of attention to the tournament, but for Charlie, it also likely brought added pressure. Playing in the shadow of one of golf’s greatest can be a double-edged sword, as expectations soar while the challenge of living up to the family name looms large.

 

The elder Woods’ own history in the U.S. Junior Amateur was no doubt on the minds of many as they watched Charlie compete. Tiger famously qualified for his first U.S. Junior Amateur when he was just 14, and by the time he was 18, he had become the only player to win the tournament three times in a row. Those victories would foreshadow the remarkable career that followed, as Tiger dominated professional golf for the better part of two decades.

 

For Charlie, the road to success may take more time. Despite the setback at this year’s championship, he has already shown immense promise. Earlier this year, he played his way into the U.S. Junior Amateur by shooting a one-under-par 71 in his qualifier, a strong performance that earned him a spot among some of the best young golfers in the world. His experience in this tournament, even with the missed cut, will undoubtedly serve as a learning opportunity as he continues to develop his game.

 

As for Tiger, this was a week of mixed emotions. Just days before joining Charlie in Detroit for the U.S. Junior Amateur, he had struggled in his own tournament at the Open Championship, missing the cut for the third straight time in a major. Tiger’s 36-hole score at the Open matched his highest as a professional, raising questions about the state of his game as he continues to battle injuries and the natural effects of aging. But despite his personal struggles, Tiger’s focus this week was solely on his son.

 

With Charlie set to begin his sophomore year of high school in Florida soon, this may have been just the beginning of his competitive journey in the sport. The missed cut at the U.S. Junior Amateur is a setback, but it’s far from the end. As Tiger himself knows all too well, the road to greatness is paved with challenges, setbacks, and, ultimately, perseverance.

 

For now, Charlie will have to take this experience in stride, learning from the tough rounds and growing stronger for future tournaments. With his father’s legacy looming large, the young golfer has both a guiding light and a shadow to step out of, but with time, he may well carve out his own place in the sport that has been such a defining part of the Woods family.